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<br />5. Preparations for Climate Change r mpacts
<br />.
<br />3ll;llylli
<br />
<br />I)urin~ the pa~1 n.ntuT). J.;IOh;11 surfan' leOlpt.u
<br />fUTl'~ han' rcp<lrtnlly InneJsc:J at J r,lte nt'ar ],1"1'.
<br />Thl' f"Jte ot tl'mpe:rollufe int"rca~e h:l~ bCl'lI Ihrn' lime~
<br />IJI).,'1:r ~inCt' 1976, \liTh SI,ml' l,flhl'I.11');:l'S! lemr....:r.IlUTl.
<br />Illnt~aS(.'s tlccurrinR III t1w hiRh LlIilu,ks. l\vnJj..'l'lt'm
<br />pt'rallHt's in lhl' \\l'~! h.l\,(' n'p"rll'clI~' risl'n 2-.'i"F duro
<br />Ill~ Iht' :!Ir~ ccmury~n:,l1ef dun in olher n'giolls of
<br />lht' comi/o:ullUs l'mll'll Slall'~" .\~ ll'll' \\'l.~t h:l.s
<br />w,mm'd, sll"wf.cll ;lIId ~nowp;\ck holH' dillllllTShl'el In
<br />1Il.l1,.r ptlTlle'ns 1,1 the \\c'sl. ,md an in<:n-'lsing fr.IClitlO
<br /><It Wlnll'r prcnpn,lliOll is falling ,lS rolin, r;uher lh.m
<br />sno\\', A,ldlu",u1J~, \'h'~Il'rn ~no\\p;lcks .In' mdtin~
<br />1'.lrJIl'r with pc:,J; runolf COllllng 10 10)0 el:lYs c;lrl,,'r in
<br />1ll.IIIY CaSl"~, TIll" rq:inn hJS j..l\'lll'r,clly h;\J incrc.'.lse~ in
<br />prl'ClplI;\fion, with si,L:llitll".l1ll U1Cn".lse~ in li<.ml' .Ifl'as,
<br />Ilo\\e\'l"r, olhn ;\Tl"J~ ha\l' bct"C'llll' elnl'r ,md t"\Pl:ri,
<br />l"nn'd mort" dmu,L:llls, \\'I]dtin' in tilt' \\'l'~t h'IS in,
<br />l'H';\Se:d, IMrllCUr.lrly ill Ihe I.1q lwo de(;llle~. ()f Ihe
<br />lTloll"r m"1II1I'lIn r:\ngn In Ihl' \\l"SI-lht' CISla.ks. the
<br />:-'ll'rr'l ~I'\;II.Ia, ,mll I1ll" l{ockll''!o--1Tl'ncls art' mOH' pm-
<br />. Il"unl'ed in IIll" C:lscldl's .1n,1 thl' Sierra ~e\'''lt. ;md
<br />In~ ~" III lhl' Ccnrr;ll .md ;s.jorthern ROl:kles, dUl' In
<br />1.11).,'1..' P,lrl tu thl' Il'mpl:follurl's ill lhl" JtTl'ncd snowlllll'
<br />~ltiIUd('s 10 lht, ~it'rLI :'sinad'l and C;lsc,ldes 1>C:lIljo!;
<br />d'l'l'r tll '2''1' to hl',L:m wilh.
<br />
<br />,\hh'lu~h thl' rCSl'ilft:h ,.n Pf('ll'Cli'HlS f,.r dinlJtl'
<br />ch;LIlge In [he IUlurt. 11'Il's n"l h;l\l' nt'arl~ tlll" s:m1l'
<br />lkgn~l' or ('crI.Unt~ as thl' Oh"l'f\cd dlln,ltl" ch;lIl,L:c IU
<br />ll.ill", i[ .1"0 sU,~I'Sl Ih:u nSIIlJ.:gl"J,'11 surf.ll"e temfll.....1
<br />lun's ,md .I"'I>CI.llnl cllmatl" ch;lIl.L:e~ m..y COn!mUl'
<br />Ol"cr lht: nl"XI ~\'l"raltkcllles ,Inti h,:~ond" :\ccordin~
<br />to Ihe Thinl i\sw~~ml'11l Rq)orl 01 Ihl' ] Ilkr,L:l'\"l'rn-
<br />menl,ll Pil(1l'1 on Chm.uc Ch,lIlJ.:e (II'C<'), /0:1011.11 sllr-
<br />fOlft" II'll1l'>C:rdtufl's .lre proj('("Il'd In n"l' h~-' 1(1"1 hy
<br />
<br />Ih(' ('nd of Ihc 2:]" c..-mul) , Prc:cipit;l1ion pn,.lil'llom
<br />shuw Ol/o:fT.llt"f r.mls'l.' of possibj]Il1l'!o., Ihus Ihc} an' con"
<br />si,lcrt'tl morc' unCl'n:un. The., Aml'Tlcan \'\eq cnuld
<br />
<br />hl'at up mOfe th;lIl Ihe worldwltle .1\'CrJ!-,'l.'. with rc-
<br />,L:llma] cJimate m'ltlds sU~esUnJ.: lCmpef.lture illcrca~t's
<br />111 the \Vrst could hl' 4-13"F. Proil'ncd impafls thaI
<br />could ,lCcomp,my Ihis w:lrmlnR In Ihe \\est mdudl' the
<br />f"If'minJ.::
<br />
<br />. Srn;J\[cr ~nowpacb-winler pfecil'il;lli,'n cllUIJ
<br />f'lll :I~ r,lln mstcOld 01 snov.~ pl'ri"d~ "f snowp.lfk accu
<br />mublioll coull1 he: shllnl"r; ;(1111 slllmpOlch CUld.! Ix:
<br />sm;t]!t-r. which h'ls Sl'rious lI11pIJcalion~ t;,r rl"'..__rn'lr
<br />sll'f,lgl',
<br />
<br />. E,Hlil,t smJwrneh-warminjo!; carlin in [he Yl';lr
<br />("llukl mdl snowp.l('ks S'"'Ill'r fUrlhl"r infrl'aslllJ.: tht'"
<br />Il"I1,l,'1h ot Utile ht'twl'ell pe.lk Wa[l"r nO\l.s and Ihe sum
<br />mertillle pc;lk W'lIer Iln'ds III ClITes, I,mnns, utiritil's,
<br />ele. rCl!uirHlJ.: mun' n-ser\"lllr ~lor;l,L:e I') Clpllln" lhe
<br />l'arlit"rrun"ff,
<br />
<br />. Flnod-cUlllrnl rcleOlSl'S--Walt"r nun;lh'l'rs rn:l)' hI:
<br />fOfced 10 mal..l' ch:(II,l.'l.'s 111 rl:~r\"nir Olll:Llti"lls :md
<br />mlecurn's,
<br />
<br />. ~1nll:' cxtrcmc flood C.'\CIlIS--c::I;trellll' l'\l"fIl~
<br />c\luld Il\.' more commoll c;lu~in~ more frl'ljul"1ll ,11111
<br />l'lf,l,'Cr tl'l(llls" In S'lfllC (";I\;(:S, l'xi\lillJ.: Il,"Ili (".,mn,1
<br />'mIl' CUf\'C'S' ~h"uld Ix: rcformul.Ut'd,
<br />
<br />. Ren'dil1~ gIOll'il'r..-s"ml" haw sUKJ...'1:~Il"l1 C;b
<br />flt"r ~;J!("Il;l1 Pafk cuuld hl' \'oid of jo:l.lCll'rs hr 10.'0 ;IS
<br />;J fl'SUIt "fw,lrming,
<br />
<br />. ~lllrt, C\':llllJt,uiun ;Uld llrynt'S~ hlglwl t"l1l-
<br />pcLllI.Hl"~ cllultllllCt(.';ISl" n';Ipt)r,llion irom SIrC,1Il1\ ,me!
<br />rese:r...oir~, ~"il dT)nt'ss, and Ihl' Ill'l',h or cn,ps ,ll1d
<br />."hn phms for suppll'ml'llla! \\.lln,
<br />
<br />. J.c:SS gmul1dw;ller_ks~ ,l\";lJr.lhdjl~ o( ~Uff;ll"t,
<br />\\',1l1'! SUrrhl'~ In:lY lead 10 incn"a"':ll pumpJll,L: lrom
<br />,L:r"uml\\',u('r .lellllll.-rs turther Stfl'ssinJ.: Is'l""un,lwaler
<br />~uppht'S ;md h~drau]ica!ry-connl"(ll'll surfolCl' Wil[IT
<br />SUpphl'~"
<br />
<br />"The American West could heat up more than the world-
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />wide average, with regional climate models suggesting
<br />
<br />tcmperature increases in the West could be 4-13"1',"
<br />
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